TranscriptSelect Board Meeting ~ May 16, 2017

We're on. We're all set. They're also up on the 632 on the board. Uh four of the five select men of President. Uh, could we please rise for the pledge of allegiance America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I I think we're good. All right. Uh, public comment. uh, I play it up that uh, not trying to beat on ditching, but I'm here to talk about ditching again. Um, I got the prices from Lisbon. What they got? Want to take one of that? I know it cost us $5.61 a square foot to do ditching. We still have some money on the

square foot or linear foot. Linear foot. Square foot. And we have uh quite a few ditching over a month left on that bond to do on runaround bond road. Always do that for me. I don't have any more. You can make you one. I was hoping it as you can see that Lisbon got a got a price at $2.94 95 uh a foot or linear

foot or whatever though to ditch and uh some of the threes and a couple in the fours and these are current current bids here for ditching. I know it cost the town $5.61 to have our crew out there on that bond job. I was hoping that uh maybe the selectton might think about maybe getting some bids to finish that job and save a little more money on that job cuz I can't see the incentive of having us pay $5.61 when we can get it done for $3 $3. Is a is it a factor and I don't know this industry but is it a factor in the ditching price when somebody else is doing the ditching? Is it typically also the company that's doing the actual road work? So they they already have equipment and people on site or is it not is that not the case?

No, this is just plain old ditching. This one is it's a separate like a subcontractor kind of thing. Okay. No, I just figured I'd just bring it and shine some light on and let you guys know these are the current these are current numbers right here in front of you. I don't see none of them in the fives.

Um these are this year's numbers, not last year's numbers. These are 20 April 20th, 2017. And none of this this doesn't include any cross celvers, nothing. Nope. That's just plain old ditching. As you see the 15 inch, 20 in, 36 in, that's cal price to foot to a culbert.

Well, we can we can discuss it with Kelbert later on. Thank you. Thanks for bringing our attention. Thank you. presented. Second. It's been moved and seconded. We accept the consent agenda as presented. Any more discussion? Um hearing none. All those in favor?

None opposed. Action discussion items. Budget committee discussion. The budget committee have any I know you guys probably just got this recently. You look it over. I mean, it is what it is. another public work reserve. Hold on. 5,000.

Now, could somebody explain to me why we have two lines and what the $64,000 was for? 64,000. Is that a copy paste error? Yeah, that is a copy paste error. that first one. Um, Terry, the one that says total public works fund 64,84, that should say total fire.

That should be what? It should be the fire reserve fund and and that is the um, uh, the PDM staffing that was passed at the town meeting. Um, and we separated that out because, uh, chief wanted to, um, be able to, uh, put all those expenses towards it and and keep track of it. So will that line require?

Yes, that's the additional EMS coverage. that if this money was not expended, it would go back into undesated funds. It would not go into the capital reserve or the fire department. Correct. I It shouldn't say reserve at all. It should just say total fire additional um EMS coverage.

Yeah, that was the se that was the separate warrant article that was specifically for that coverage from whenever Billy couldn't fit the other people in for the EMS people to have the coverage that the town's people wanted.

Right. But if that money isn't expended, it goes back into undesated fund. Correct. Correct. Correct. I sus I suspect I'd be surprised if it ain't spent, but I'm sure he's look working vigorously to get that in line. Yes.

uh employ uh Um it looks like most are where they should be. Some are closing in. What page you on? Well, just in general. I haven't specified that. Oh, in general employee salaries are at the 24 to 25% range. However, the road commissioner salary is at 40.85. I'm wondering why that one is so much different than everyone else's

because at the time this report was run we had not had a reimbursement from panel and uh we have since had a reimbursement from panel cuz remember we pay Calvin and then they re reimburse me 60% no 40% of his salary we pay 60%

has that been reimbured yes for the first three months I have to build them for April still so that that figure is actually run yes but it's through March 31st So I I didn't adjust it today. It would be wrong. labor for the public works, is there any concern we're still okay based on actual figures from January, March?

Yeah, invariably we spend a lot of our money in the winter time. that um we paid our annual security premium for this building, but it hasn't been paid from Union Church. Wouldn't they all be paid at the same time? We pay them when they bill us.

they obviously haven't built us yet for the Union Church. are separate security. They're separate bills. I maybe it was started at a different time and it's on a yearly basis. So maybe that's why the anniversary date may be different. I mean I can check with last year's to see when we paid the Union Church, but um that's that's how we pay it when they tell us.

left. So, they didn't. And then I also gave you guys some information on on uh health insurance, some comparisons. I sent you each an email this afternoon, too, explaining the comparisons um and attaching them, although I made you copies of them as well. So,

agenda, is is that being discussed by a selectman this evening? Uh we discussed it last meeting. the comparisons. I had presented it for the select at the last meeting and um then actually this meeting was the first one where we had the comparisons of um the small the one sheet one.

When will the select be discussing it further and making any kind of a vote on it? Uh Mark, probably over the course of the summer. I mean it's probably not going to all get hashed out in one meeting. So, we'll talk about it, get ask questions, get some more information, um, make a decision before we get to. But if if you've got that paper, you do they have a copy?

They should have a copy of each of the pieces. If you got that, just so everybody remembers because we've done this numerous times. Um, obviously we are not on the top and we are obviously not on the bottom, we're in the middle. So, we're trying to stay competitive with what we've been doing. So, um, just keep in mind that we're not we're not out there with a gold offer. So, but we

we've discussed it some. We'll probably discuss it more. And as we've looked at this in past years and this time around too, uh, talking about maybe doing a 7525, you're uh, it doesn't change it much. So, we know that it's a question that comes up every year and we've looked at it

pretty much every year and uh we're trying to stay competitive so that we don't end up having to have a lot of turnover on employees all the time as well. So, but we haven't forgot about it. We we kind of know when we get this that Milt's going to ask the question. [laughter]

us right now what we're doing with code enforcement in regards to paying? I notice there's no money here allocated. There is no So we just Calvin's handling that basically on top of his road commissioner salary at this moment. Yeah, Jeff had discussed possibly offering him a additional monies, but we never had brought it before the board.

Okay, so that number is right. Yeah. Okay, perfect. Terry's Terry. Uh, this has to do with the budget committee, but not necessarily with the budget. Uh, and I don't know how you want to handle this is we are short budget committee

member right now. Uh, and I don't know if in fact somebody takes out papers and runs for another office, they should resign so we could get somebody else voted in. Or are you planning on putting this on the ballot for the the school vote which is coming up or whatever so we could get back to a full committee?

Actually, we we are probably looking at a scenario like that tonight. So that's something we could probably add to the add to the list as well. Yeah, that that had been my Shannon's discussion is that we would add that to the the June 13th since we're going to be doing it anyways probably.

Cherry would be good to ask that question. You gave me a different answer though when I asked about that. Well, this just came up to see if we could get it done. I mean, when were you in? Oh, I was in I believe it it just came up yesterday. I came to town office a week or so ago

for some other business and I asked uh when elections if elections were going to be included for budget and we had no told that the answer I was told was that uh selectman had decided no because there wasn't enough time to put out had to be 45 days or something for a public announcement to go out and then it had been decided you were going to wait till November that's right here. This

Yes. And that's what we had decided. And yesterday there was a change in in personnel personnel. Let's just Weman resigned. So now we have to have Jeff Wakeakeman resigned. Um and so we're going to do a hurry up quickly do a selectman's hopefully do a selectman's uh election for the June 13th. And so we figured that if we're going to do a hurry up cuz we also didn't want to spend the money on the election June 13th cuz RSU pays for the election with the state unless we have a municipal election. So we weren't going to to do the municipal election, but now since we're going to have to anyways, the plan Shannon and I had talked about was to put the budget committee one now too.

Is there a a legal requirement that it has to be posted for so many days? can't be announced so many days. Yes, but there are special instances where you can change that if you're in a hurry. Under 30A subsection 2568, I believe it is in 2602, it let you shorten up the time period for nomination papers as well as um absentee voting.

No decision has been made yet to do that. We have it's later in the agenda, but that's a possibility, right? Thank you. I've got I guess one more budget finance related uh item. I guess it's more on finance. I I tuned in and watched the video, the compelling video from your goals meeting and there was conversation about um budget committee and bonds and our capital plan and all of those things. Um and I just want to want to weigh in at least from my perspective. Um there was some discussion that maybe that's not something the budget committee um could be involved with or should be involved with. And I guess from my perspective uh I would be willing to volunteer myself at least to participate in a committee to do that because um I think as a committee we can offer more value to the community if we're looking at our capital plans, our road bond plans, our lack of a road bond plan, our fire department capital plan.

Um probably adds more value than just nitpicking some of the smaller line items that we have on this budget sheet. So, um I know we called the budget committee and I we haven't had a meeting to discuss that, but um I would encourage the selectman to consider and or whether we do a workshop together as a committee and the selectman group, but um I think there's a bigger impact we can have if we address what is our capital plan. It was pretty loud and clear at the town meeting that we need to have a capital plan that integrates public works, fire department, and this building as far as capital. And we have a gap there. And I think it was a lot of resistance from the town's the town folk and you ought to have a good plan that both budget committee and hopefully suggest stand behind or we give the community a couple options a budget committee recommendation for a financial plan and a second recommendation

financial plan but we probably should go into something. Yeah, I uh Paul first uh who's a resident of Durham and former town manager of New Glouster reached out to me recently um offering to come uh speak with the selectman at a at a future meeting and basically um uh kind of spell out what a a CIP uh program and process might look like and what some of the options and you know pros and cons of doing it and just to have somebody who's really an expert in the area to just um you know make a present you know informal presentation and talk to us about what that might look like if we wanted to go that way. So, um I was going to bring that up tonight and then mention it to Roose to see if you know we could arrange for him to come you on a future agenda to come talk to us about um the process.

Yeah, we we've talked about that off and on. I know when Sarah's here, she was kind of pushing for the same idea. One of the I don't I don't necessarily think it's a it's not really a problem, but we have to figure out how to do it fairly because like the fire station has been putting money into their capital fund for a long time. So we can't just take their money and lump it into this because that would kind of be unfair since they've been working at it a lot longer. So we I mean that's just one of the part of the conversation we got to have to

to do that if that's the route we go and make sure that we're still not stealing any of theirs that they've had to do. I the only thing I take issue with it's not their money. It's it's the taxpayers's money and it's uh um and I think the CIP process is is just a way to um ensure that we're prioritizing and and spending it uh wisely. So, but I get the point that it is an in it is uh some say it's an incentive to spend less of their operational budget so that they can have the funds in their reserve account, but there's pros and cons to that too. So, there there's obviously a lot more discussion to come on this issue. We have we're just beginning to entertain it. So

it it isn't their money, it's the town's money. But they've been working diligently to do that through the town. So we just need to be cognizant of that. That's all. I I I think the issue was I think John, if my memory serves me correct, is whether or not there's a conflict of interest here. And I just I never see how there's a conflict of interest with a town when it's the town's money

and we're all working for the same cause. Well, at least we should be. Correct. Yeah. So, I don't know where all these agendas that kind of come up from, but um I have zero issue with what Mr. Simino recommended. I mean, I think it'd be the more heads we got involved in this town, the better off we're all going to be. So,

Terry, uh, speaking to what Kevin said and you said, Mark, uh, would that not if we, if we say we took all these capital improvement plans or capital funds that we have in all the departments and put them into one and then prioritized where we're going to spend the money. Okay. Would that not change the budget

amounts that each of these departments would be putting in because and I'll say the fire department for example uses their capital funds to reduce their budget and pay for things as does public works. But if that money is no longer available, okay, would they're not their bottom line and their budget go up.

They they can't be using capital to pay for operational expenses. So, and I'll give you a prime example is like the the ambulance service. All of that money goes into capital on the fire department and they use that maybe not to offset their budget but to offset truck payments or building capital expenses

or or something like that. If that is now gone, okay, [clears throat] would not their budget or public works the same way if we're buying a truck or something come out of this, would that not in fact raise their budget? Uh yeah,

it possibly would, but uh one of the things we'd have to definitely do is we'd have to go to the town to change it because I believe those were the town voted as they did with public works to specifically put that money there. So we'd have to go back to the town and ask them if that's what they wanted to do. I mean, obviously, I agree, we'd have to have a lot of research to see how that would fit in to be fair with the ones that have already started and and kind of lump that in. But in the end, we'd have the town's going to make that final decision. And it's just a matter of presenting it to him where it's it works best for the whole town and still fair to the ones that have already started. And eventually we'd work our way out of that.

There's a lot of factf finding left to do on this. We're we're a long way from any sort of decision. It's just what would it look like? The revenue from the transfer reports will always be there. It's what do we apply it against?

It's the operating account. Do we apply to get capital? Do we you know how do we use that revenue? That revenue will still be there in the town just like I understand that. But the thing of it is is unless this plan says, "Okay, we're going to take it out of the capital improvement fund and pay for the fire station payment or pay for that truck payment or whatever or a new truck or whatever it happens to be. Okay. Are you in fact gaining anything?" Wow, that's that's a good question because to your point about would their budget actually go up. I'm sure that that's what one of the things they're going to look at because that money that's in that capital fund, they may be looking to buy that truck this year or next year and they know that they're not going to get it out of that cuz that may be headed for something else. So, they're going to change their budget and in fact it could increase it. Whether or not the town

approves it, that's another story. But but but yeah, I see what you're saying. Yeah. I just just wanted to make sure that we It'll definitely be a consideration, you know, when we when we talk through it on what does it look like.

I'd like to see you guys involved with this whole thing as a committee. I I think you guys are valuable um through the whole line when we get going on capital improvement. We do have come up with a few good ideas [laughter]

every once in a while, especially the budget committee is kind of the check and balance, too. And it's and if you're kind of there in the onset of it, there's a lot less questions down the road. I mean, whether you all want it to be on or not, that's that's up to you guys. I think we've in past we've had committees we've set a limit of seven or nine. I can't remember how many on those now because you can have too many and not really accomplish much or you don't have enough and to work out over for everybody to work them. Um, I think it's a good idea as well. I I think that we

and it's going to take a while. I mean, it's, you know, it's going to be extra meetings. You ain't going to get it, you might not get it done till till after this next town meeting. I would be surprised. So, cuz it seems like every time you ask a question,

there's three or four more that pops up. Terry usually has I think with money and budgets, everybody knows, especially running a town or running anything, your households, whatever, it's it's a fluid situation. there's always things that come up. So the more collective minds we have as a town, I don't I don't see how it can hurt to answer again back to John. So I think the more the marrier in a situation like that because at the end of the day it's the town's money and whatever we can serve the best purpose for the town is that's the direction we got to go. What's best for the town

and I I can't see where there'd be a conflict on that, but we would double check to be sure. I mean, sometimes the rules are funny. Some of them I don't like much myself, but I either got to change them or accept them. [laughter] Right now, I don't have time to change many of them. So, all right. Anything else? Melt, you all set? You was thinking.

All right. Thank you. Uh expense. I just next uh out every year. act on uh what update our propane out every year or we just take the market price. I uh have a three-year contract with um CMP for propane for propane $13 a gallon I think it is.

CMP provides us with propane. No, sorry, not CP down east. Okay, thank you. All right, I got you. All right, thank you. Uh we've had a resignation. Uh Jeff Jeff Wakeakeman turned in his resignation. he's uh his job is kind of taking him in a diff different direction and he's going to be away a lot more and he felt that it would be uh fair to the committee and the town that if he was going to be his way as much as he's suspecting that he wouldn't have the time he needed to put in here. Um I talked to him a little bit yesterday and I couldn't really talk him into changing his mind and I I can't say as I blame him. He's going to be pretty busy. So with uh great regret, we will accept the resignation of Jeff Wakeman.

Yeah. I just want to publicly say um I want to thank Jeff for his service to the town. I think we've been very lucky to have him um on the board and as chairman of the board for the as many years as he did. And um I sent him a note last night saying, you know, I was looking forward to working with him and learning from him. Um, and it's too bad he's not going to be here, but uh uh just I want to I want to thank him and and uh wish him good luck.

He said he was going to show up from time to time when he could. So hopefully we'll still see him around. Uh so is there a second on that motion? Mark second. Any more conversation or just All right. All those in favor of accepting Jeff's resignation, we don't have to raise our hands.

Yeah, but what [laughter] if we say no? Does he have to come back? We don't have to have an election, right? That's right. That's when you're not here. That's usually what happens. [laughter] That's how we got the job. I know. That'll that'll teach him.

Okay. Mark. Uh Mark, can we can we take the RSU5 out of order so that Sure. Uh RS the counter sign for RSU 54. Yes, we can take that out of order. Any objections to that? Shannon has the Shannon has the papers. Um and Becky [clears throat] Foley and Michelle

Latai Latai have been kind enough to come this evening in case you guys have any questions. Give me a stamp. You want my pink? [laughter] I do. And does anybody have any questions for I don't have any questions. I had a question earlier. It was just a a weird question because I never I didn't know what the outcome was. I asked what happens if you don't sign. We got the answer. So,

it's kind of one of them things you you don't have much choice to sign it anyway. So, it's just a kind of a exercise, I guess. Yeah, I got on the horn with Michelle. [laughter] That's one of them rules. I don't know why we can't change.

Well, we appreciate you coming so that we can move forward with the Oops. referendum. There's five places, but don't forget. Oh, okay. I see. Yeah, Todd didn't start at the top of the line. That's what confused me. [laughter]

First you get two. I've tried for a year. you sign both of these? Yeah. Michelle now or No, she's good like that. meeting is uh May 24th and you all come out to that meeting. Where is it? Oh, Freeport. It is at Freeport High School. Last year we were in Durham and we're back in Freeport.

It's at 6:30, right? At 6:30. That's correct. I know. How many are these on the town here? pole? [laughter] We got to get some stamp shampoo. I wish you have the sympathy for me. [laughter] How about you have a stand? I do not. I do.

I don't use that much. Okay. Pink, [laughter] right? I say if you don't have a stamp, we should get you one. All right. We can go back to B working agreement and basically that's just those government rules up there. I don't know that they have to thrash on that tonight. That's just uh it's kind of a reminder for us to try to be civil.

Yeah. To try to be civil. Yeah. Those actually are from a couple years ago when Barry Baldwin was on the Yeah. A lot of those than that actually. Do we have an official ending time? Cuz if we do, we we have not been folding to it.

No, I don't think we we have a half cuz those were used kind of public work exploratory as well. Okay. To see 9:00 instead of 11:00. Well, yeah. Eight. You [laughter] got a Okay. So, next is uh acting code enforcement officer.

The uh what we're going to do with that as far as uh putting it out for hours in time. And I you've you've sent out um I I did send out job descriptions. If anybody needs a copy, I can I've read it a couple times. Actually, I read them both. I think you changed one just a little bit.

Yeah. The only thing that I really changed on this to be honest was um I think I added the historic district committee which was not on the original um and I made him the local health officer because uh I'm the local health officer and and I have no qualifications for being a local health officer. So

is that something that code enforcement people typically have? Yes, they do combine that. Um I don't know why I have that. So I added the historic district commission and then I think I I added the assists comprehensive plan committee as necessary.

I saw that. Yeah. Um so is that four committees that he he or she will he or she? Right. One, two, three committees, four committees that he helps, right? Um and then the spearheading of the effort to improve the town ordinances um after the comprehensive plan is completed. And there there was a line in there about this position. It must be reappointed by the selectman annually.

Is that true of just this position or is that true of all reappointed every year? So is some of those things that you signed back when you first came here that was some of all that stuff? Okay. All right. Yeah. Remember all those pieces of paper you probably didn't read?

Yeah. [laughter] No, probably. Yeah. No, those were our reappoints. Yeah. Okay. All right. Mhm. what would we like to do with this? We'd like to get it out. And we How are we going to present it? We going to present it. We've talked about it, discussion about it a few different times, voted on, didn't go nowhere. What would we like?

Utah seem to think that we should have a full-time as we have had lately. I think so. I think he's going to get busier, especially if he's going to be on four different on the tail of four different committees and doing an effective job. You know,

I went back and looked at I don't know how many other years I asked Ruth to dig up for me just so I could kind of compare cuz up until a couple years ago, we've never had a full-time we've had part time and the amount of work that for just inspection or just permits and stuff it's kind of fluctuated up and down but somewhat stayed the same. Um but I don't think that we've always had past uh representation on some of them other committees as we have had in the last couple years.

No, you absolutely have looking at some of that a little bit more. I I could probably go along with your thought. Are we defining full-time as was it 32 or 32 hours? Is that understood out there that that's what we're calling full-time or or the full-time are going to expect a 40hour position or

most most a lot of towns especially towns of this size that's above the standard that's normal and I think when we put it out there that's what we put out 32 seems a little high for a town of our size we but I don't think they're committed to as many

things that we're looking for here in terms well if that's full time then I mean outside of different and it's been since 86 28 hours then when Janet was year. So probably about 2012 somewhere around there it went to 32.

Went from 28 when I first started and that's when we open. So it only went up when Paul went fulltime. We only had No, he's talking full time. Yeah. The uh the office full time was right was 28 hours. That's what they were.

I'm sorry. Just that. Okay, I got you. I was going to say Dan wasn't doing 28 hours. He was doing Monday nights. No. Yeah. And then when we were sleeping, we upped it a little. That's what we ended up basically 40 days. [laughter]

You just did what? Uh, if I'm going to put it out there, we definitely want to put it out there. I would say you can put a range. I mean, some weeks, depending on the workload, he may only do 28, but he may do 32, 4 on the interim, he may do the full amount for a while.

Yeah, I think we should get it out because I mean, just putting it out there and asking for applicants doesn't commit us to anything. all it does is get us a pool of applicants, you know, so we we still have the option to go to in a different direction if that's what we choose to do. Um or if if over the course of the next few weeks if we you know, sometimes the applicant can dictate what you want to do. You know, if you get a really stellar applicant, sometimes you find a way to make it work, you know. Um so I think it's at least worth putting it out and then then we can see what our options are. We put it up on the website and up on the state employees website.

Yeah, sometimes I'll put bother putting it in the paper. Okay. Yeah, the paper that's just my idea. Yeah, it's very expensive for help wanted ads. Yeah, they they used to be $15 at 400 now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do we want to put it out for full-time 32 or you want to put it up as a range 28 to 32 or how do you want to do how do you want to handle that? Do do we have to put a number on it if it's

Well, I think we should put an end number so that they don't cons they don't get thinking that full time is 40 hours. How about up to 32 hours? Yeah, I like that. Up to 32 hours. 32 hours. I like that. So, I need you guys to accept this changes if you are approving of that. And

do do we I get the health aspect of it, but do we really think we need the code officer on all these committees? Can we It seems to be a lot. I know that there's a couple of them that Sure. They kind of need Actually, I think that's a good point. I'm not sure that the code enforcement officer needs to go to the historic commission meetings on a regular basis.

No, I don't think so either. I think I think that he should be able he or she should be able to kind of get to know them, see what they need, and then he should be he or she should be able to judge that. And I think probably maybe the only meetings that uh perhaps should be going to is the planning board.

And the Yes, thank you. and the appeals board and and comp committee as needed. You know, I would say comp plan committee as needed. And he [clears throat] should probably go to the historic district commission on the nights where they actually have something in front of them.

How often does that happen? Not so often. Like monthly or No. twice a year or Oh, okay. Every other month or Yeah. My last one, Ruth, and I I' I'd actually defer to Kelvin on this to see what his thought was. Maybe maybe the rest of the folks in the audience, but we're performing the duties of an electrical inspector. We don't do a lot of commercial here. And if we have a master pulling the permit, do they really need that certification?

Most towns of this size don't have an electrician has a license and we have a state inspector for commercial. Correct. So if it's commercial, the state inspector's got to go inspect it. So I I think it's I think it's kind of and mostians are all telling me why do we have an electrical

some towns do, some towns don't. The bigger towns do, but I haven't run into too many small towns such as us. Um if it's not commercial, the state, if it's commercial, the if they're master, they have to call a state inspector anyways. Yep.

But you're not going to really hire anybody for that has a that's kind of no more than a master electrician. I don't know. If if we've adopted that code by ordinance, do we don't we have to support it with Yeah, because if you call if if you build a house on your own and can you call to have the electrical put hooked up, they won't hook it up unless you have the electrical spec has to call it in.

No, that's not true. Well, in this town, well, but we can most towns all that has to for residential is just a master has to call it in. Whoever the gentleman's pulling as long as he has a master's license. Is that is that accurate, Calvin, or clarify. There's two ways of doing this. There's form 1190, which is what I usually do most times, too, is just if you you have to sign a paper saying that it's not a shorland zone and that the house is approved by the planning, but it's not an illegal residence.

Correct. They want that form. I fax it to them. That's what I've done for years. That's just to get their service. And then the electrician, they meet the electrician at the site and the electrician uh you know, he's he has to build it to or he'll lose his license if it's not the code. So,

but they do inspect. CMP comes and inspects the meter and the socket on a residential. Yeah. So, we just switch the process and go. We go to the 1194. There you go. So, that's all you have to do is call CMP, tell them you're switching that and then uh that's that's I would recommend.

Is this for for residential? Residential commercial. The state has to be right. So, what about the interior? That's all electric. He has a license. He puts his license number on there and he doesn't do I mean, yeah. I go when I go in, I check for the GFIs. I make sure they work. I make sure it's got the arc fault. I mean, if I see something that's not right, I'm going to call them on it. But that stuff we cover in code enforcement basic electric.

What if it's a homeowner DIY situation? Well, it's Yeah, those are scary. Yeah, [laughter] those are scary. But there's nothing, Am I correct? There's nothing you can do about it. No. And we have enough training [clears throat] to know that if it's something blatantly,

but you can hit anybody on life safety. Y if it's life safety, it doesn't matter what the code is. If you feel that it's life safety, you can bring fire. you can bring if your smoke detector is all it's all in there. So,

and and the code enforcer at any given time call a state official. Mhm. So, I I'm with you. What I'm wondering is are we are we able to back off the electrical code if that's what's in the ordinance that that's the code we've adopted.

You may need to go to town meeting that. Yeah, that's what I'm getting. Which code are we are we under? You pull that. Well, but nothing to do with electrical. What's the electrical is you have an ordinance. Town of Durham has an ordinance back in the 70s that that appoints annually an electrical inspector for the town of Durham

under the move act that electrical has got nothing to do with that. That's correct. We've always had electrical inspect. Yeah, we always have. That's why I'm asking and it's it's it's odd. It's different. It's kind of unique for a town of this size to have that.

It's very it's I've never seen it. This is the only one I have electricians ask me for sometimes do some. And most of them just sign that form. Like for example, you know, I when I this is ways back now, but when I would build house in this town, the the electrical inspector didn't come and inspect the the meter in the can for CMP because CMP inspects it,

right? Yeah. CMPS. So there's what's the what's the that's why most towns don't have this other, you know, bigger towns, Brunswick, Portland, they do over 10,000 people. I mean, Gorum didn't have one until recently and they had over 10,000 people. I never got electrical in I never got electrical.

Technically, if your town's under 4,000, you don't have to adopt codes at all. That's correct. Right. Right. We're right on the edge. When I when I was building a couple new some of the new houses that I built, we had to get the electrical permit and the electrical inspector had to come look and he had to call.

Depends on the municipality though. The electrician, but we've always done that in Durham, right? But like in other towns, it's not I guess what I'm getting at is it's not warranted. And the reason why I bring it up is most most not all people

that have um that are in this profession for say people that we're going to be looking at, they do have the qualifications of plumbing and building. But the electrical, a lot of people don't go out of their way to study or get that because it's not applicable. And those jobs are typically if it's a town of Portland, they're just hiring an electrical inspector.

Right. Yeah. They sometimes hire two. Depends on where they are. Correct. Can I make a suggestion? Can you make it a desired versus a job requirement? Because Yeah. Because a desirable skill or an additional skill? Yes. Yes. Yes. Absolutely.

It's not a bad thing. I mean, we need to make sure and I defer to Calvin. I mean, if we're obligated by some type of town, Calvin, in your opinion, or we just your ordinance, which I'd have to review. I don't know. I've got it right in front of me right here. So, construction and plumbing standards. All construction must meet the standards of the following if applicable and as hereafter amended. One, National Electric Code as required by state law at the time of construction. And then two, code for safety to life in buildings and structures as required by state law at the time of construction. The main uniform building and energy code and the main state plumbing codes. So I that's just that's what it says in the land use ordinance. I don't know what that means in terms of what we then have to provide in terms of inspections or whatever. That's just saying though the way I'm interpreting that and that's how most

towns do it is if whatever the town which they have to do anyways whoever you hire as a master electrician they're licensed by the state that's that's typically the code that they have to follow. So that's what you're going to get if you're hiring a master and it's not going to issue a permit and CMP is not going to give connect that can without a master signing that certificate.

I'm I'm more concerned about the do-it-yourselfer but you can't do anything about that technically. Well, I I get that, but we've always had that in the past. We don't want to set ourselves up for having a bunch of houses burned down.

I know. Do they have to pull out a permit if they're doing it themselves? Yeah. And does it have to be if that house is, let's say, 20 years old, do they have to follow any specific code? They still have to meet state code

on new on new current if they touch on a remodel or just if they're doing some old work or something like that. Either either they have chang they have to meet state. I did some electrical on my barn years ago and Dan Feny came out to inspect it.

Yeah. Well, you weren't a master though. This I'm really only talking about DIY situation. But I but I was talking about the D Yeah. do it yourself. I mean, there's always that chance that somebody could, but Sure. most guy that's putting in an outlet's probably not calling you anyways,

Terry. If if I want to build my own house, okay, I have the right to wire that my job, right? Y Okay. However, I do know that CMP will not put power to the house without a master calling CMP and saying to the circuit breaker box or whatever it is, it's good to go.

Mhm. Now, my question to you is, who do I call? Right. Well, that's what I'm saying because I knew that uh when I first came to town, I had called I did some work on my own house and I called and they said, "No, you can't do that unless the I had the permit, but the the inspector had to do that even though it was my own house,

right? But the inspector had to call." I'm asking is who does the homeowner call? The homeowner can't put in a new service. We're just talking about in the house per se, but if you put if you built your own house, you can't put in your meter and that's that has to be signed off by a m master electrician.

It used to be you. No, I No, no. I wrong. Okay. I at least I had used to be able to I can put in the meter trim. I can put in the circuit breaker box and everything else. CMP will not hook it up. Right. Right. until a master electrician calls and says it meets all the codes to the circuit breaker box. Now my question is as a homeowner, who do I call in this

town, okay, to inspect that? So they will call CNP. Right now it's me. Right now it's him, right? But if we don't have a inspector that does that, but like he like he started the I think I think we're talking about the same thing. the the master electrician from the from your can outside has to call that into CMP and inspect it.

Exactly. What might have to happen, Terry, is that the town might have to subcontract with a master electrician to provide that service to a DIY person if our code enforcement officer were not certified to do that. Just call any

you'd have to call electrician sign off. Yeah, that's the point. You can't a homeowner can't I to my and I could be wrong on this. It's been a while since I've been in this, but you know, I just got done with a job in Manchester and we had to get the state involved cuz it was commercial. And so I kind of asked cuz they don't have an electrical inspector and they're a bigger town than I am or we are, excuse me. And um what I'm getting at is you can run all that stuff and you can do it all yourself, but you have to pay a master electrician to sign that off before CMP will energize it. And

and that's not that's not what I'm asking. asking who do I call in this town to so that person can call CFP. You don't you call a master. You don't you'd have what he say is you'd have to call a master hire a master but only a master electric you can't even the town can't do it. He has to he has to have the master electrician sign the permit.

Yeah. For that particular service. So there's no I don't know how you could circumn getting a master. Could you Calvin? Can you circumn that aspect of it without getting a master? I could inspect it. Uh CNB would hook it up if I call it in.

If you called it in, y they they will as the electrical inspector, they will they will hook it up. But if we don't have electrical inspector, so to speak, you have to call electrician. Pay him. I think we keep it as is. You're you're responsible up to the weatherhead as the homeowner. Whether you hire somebody to put it in or you put it in yourself. That's what I've always been told. I

mean, up to you can't hook to a weather head office. But up to that all the way down that meter socket. I know when I did mine, I had to buy my own. I didn't That was part of what I had to buy myself and at the time, the guy that was stuck here in town, he had to call it in.

But I actually think the only reason why [clears throat] the only reason why I have to call it now is cuz that's the way we have it set up. But if you went back to the 1190 system, then I believe he could call CMP and they would hook it up as long as I signed the form saying it's legal for them to live there. They don't want to be hooking up properties. What people were doing is they go out in the woods and build something. They knew nothing about it. CMP's hooking power up and they lived there 10 years later. We're like, "Geez, anybody paying taxes on that place?" So

that and they were building in the shoreline zone, a camp on the river. So I I think if we start I think if we start doing that, I think we're going to go backwards. I think we're better off to leave it the way it is. We're going to do this.

Yeah. It doesn't seem to have created a hardship for anybody. No. No. It's just very hard right now to get people with that specific designation. But if you if you get hired here, you have a year to get those specific designations.

No, no, I get it. It's just it it is it is as Calvin will probably tell you it's not something that you would see in a town of this size. But I do think you rais a good point though if and I can't remember exact wording that if the wording is that that's a requirement of the position to have that electrical certification um that might weed out a lot of candidates that we wouldn't necessarily want to weed out. So maybe we should change that portion to you know um desired but or or whatever the you know how however you want to word smith it just so that it's you know somebody thinks well gez

desired or something that yeah or would be consideration you know electrical certification helpful but not required desired but not requ whatever you know however so you'd have to take under duties yeah you'd have to take

desirable skills and abilities and you know if they come on board and they are going to be a full-time and we won't pay the fee for them to go get that certification. As Kevin was saying, I don't know if you could take it out because I don't know if we have to change our It's in our It's in our ordinance. If you look at our ordinance book, it's in there. It's a It's an old ordinance. It's not connected to the I don't think it's connected to

if it's in our ordinance. So, we can change that. I mean, we'd have time we'd have time to take care of that. But, you know, this is just a it's a do it's a job description. It's not a legally like binding document. And it's just to it's to get a pool of candidates. And so I think if we make a little adjustment so that we don't inadvertently leave out potential candidates then then we should make it well. If we're going to do it that way that sending a different message and we would have to be if we was going to interview somebody we would have to be clear that the way our ordinance is right now they would definitely unless until we got a change whether it's next year or the year after we would have they would have to get certified. Isn't there a Isn't there a phrase in there that says certified or able to be certified or

in that same section? So that right that would cover it, right? Cover it. Okay. I think we ought to leave it as is and get it out there. Yep. With that phrase in there, I think that covers it. Yes, that was a motion. All right, I'll second it.

All those in favor? I didn't. That's all right. I [laughter] did. Kevin seconded. It's not my name. You guys give me permission to put it out to bit. So So we've we've I'll make a motion we give her permission. Thank you.

Second without any changes as presented. As presented. Okay, it's been moved and seconded that we have Ruth put it out as presented. Thank you, Laura. Any more discussion? All in favor? Next is a tax acquired sale. to do anything with the proceeds of a tax acquired sale up and above the minimum bid. We would have to bring it to town.

I don't know why we should do that. H if if you go to flow closure, you only Well, we we recoup all the money. Yeah. Then why would she why would she be entitled to a rebate, right? Well, it was it's been talked about in past that, you know, you know, people go through hard times, stuff happens, things happen, and what do we do with the money that if we get more than what what's owed? And it's been asked and thrown out there that maybe we should have a different type of a setup where those people get what as long as we get everything up front of ours and we're broke even, whatever's left over, give it back to them so they can start somewhere else. That's something that's been thrown out, talked about.

How does that work though? If if uh if the place has been I mean if the place has been foreclosed on, then chances are this is a situation where there's no bank note on it, right? No other bank note uses bank. That's what I was getting at. So

this is no bank note. So this is no this is all right. Okay. So So the let's let's just real quick a hypothetical here. They they owe the town 10 grand and we sell their house for 30 grand and there's 20 grand left over. Once you pacify that debt with that 10 grand Oh, you sold it. I I would think that money would go back.

That's That's what we're saying now. It doesn't, right? We wouldn't be able to do it without a town vote, right? Oh, right now we can't give it back. We'd need to No, we can't give it back without a town vote. We'd have to put that on a warrant for next town. Well, if we foreclose though and we don't we're foreclosed, right? So, the town has taken the property. Is that is that my understanding?

Yes, we have. So, does the town let's say the role's reversed? They owe us money after foreclosure. Do we still go after them for that remaining debt? Mhm. What do you mean they owe us money after foreclosure? They owe the town $10,000. You're only able to recoup via auction $8,000. There's $2,000 balance there. Are you are you are you going after that individual for that $2,000?

Well, there's a minimum bid. So, the minimum bid covers all of the outstanding taxes. Okay. Um and if you don't hit the minimum bid, you don't sell it. You don't sell it or you try again. Or maybe this letman decide to sell it for a lower amount um and the town takes a loss.

Um well, that's all right. Let's say that hypothetically we we decide to take a loss and we do we go after would we let's say try to go civily after that individual for that remaining balance. I don't think so. So, it's kind of a I don't know.

No, it wouldn't because we we own the property. That's my point. You own the property. So, you you take on the risk. So, you get a little bit of a windfall profit here is what you're saying. Yeah. And so, what what do we do with that money? My my question is if you took a loss on the property, you're not going back after them. So, we can't have it. I don't see how we can have it both ways.

But I don't know. Yeah. And I don't know under what transactional legality if we've taken ownership of the property and sold it as our property, the town's property. Under what transactional authority do you give the former owner cash?

You can't. They don't. That's what I'm getting at. I don't I don't think you can. The homeowner already had a chance to sell this, right? The same as I don't think you go back. That's right. They could have they could have done that themselves to satisfy. They can still do it before June 26.

Yeah. No, June 16th, I think. 16th is their date. Yeah, that that's a good point. I mean, they can they can sell it on their own or we can do it for them. And if if they sell it on their own, they get the profits. They can't they can't sell it because we have title. They can redeem their property for the minimum,

right? But what they're saying is before you foreclose, they have the ability to sell it. They do. Yep. And if they don't elect to do that and it falls into the town's hands, it becomes in a sense the town's property. And so if there's a windfall profit, it belongs to the owner of that current town.

How much of a notice do they get between the time we say we're going to foreclose and we actually do foreclose? There's a Well, it's legally what's it supposed to be? No, no, no. We we follow the law because let me tell you, this is very serious. Um, they have Well, I mean, all right. 8 to 12 months after the taxes are due, we lean the property. And the type of lean that we file is an automatic foreclosure lean. So 18 months after the date that we lean the property, then it forecloses.

Do they get any sort of notice like 6 months out from they get a 45day notice of foreclosure? So they get they have a heads up of some sort like they have almost two years to make a decision to either pay the town or sell their

Yeah, they have two and a half years basically. They've had this. I think they've had their time. I don't know what the And then we also give them first right of refusal pretty much. They've had they know they've had notice certified.

Yeah. Yeah. They they kind of know if they haven't paid the taxes that they got to pay them. I mean everybody does but that was just something that was thrown out there a while back. You know that question was asked and so I threw it out there again if you know it's kind of a I guess you could say it's a kind of a good gesture of the

Yeah. I I just don't know how it's it's kind of like Well, you'd have to change the ordinance, right? Yeah. Yeah. But they're not even a technically a resident of Durham any unless they got an apartment or something here, right?

They're living in the house. So they're they're still living in the house. Oh yeah. Yeah. They're still living until we take possession and Yeah. We don't take possession until I What would the I just don't know if you own the house you would re recap. I Why would you ever do that? I'm not I'm confused.

Add some insight. Sarah had this discussion when she was here too. American Sarah. It's the state law. If the bank forecloses on your house, they have to give you back any profits above what's owed on a mortgage. So there's they can't make a profit. So the thought was, well, it should the town really be in a position to be profiting on someone else's loss. And so Sarah said she tried to get legislation passed and to deal with it. And so that's how this all came about.

Someone else's hardship. Yeah. Profiting on someone else's hardship. Was it really good idea? Yeah. But the guy profiting is not the town. It's the guy who buys it for a song. You know, it's always comes back to the town.

Both Robin. Yeah. No, I see. I I I I get that argument. The thing is they had chance. Terry, if the town and if the town sells this property, okay, what is the deed that is issued? It's a quick claim deed. What's the difference between a quick claim deed and a warranty deed? We don't warranty that there are no other people out there that don't claim title to the property.

So quit claim means you're quitting any claim you have to the property, but you're not guaranteeing anything. It says any interest I have is yours. I guarantee nothing of the There's been no title switch. Right. Right. Not guaranteeing anything. So that's what a quick claim is.

And how long does it take to turn the quick claim deed into a warranty deed? I've done it in one day. and just go to the lawyer cuz I can give a quick claim deed to anybody or I can give you a warranty deed. So that doesn't necessarily affect the quality of title. It's just the type of deed you're issuing,

right? If you don't want the liability, you just give them a quick claim deed, but that could still have good title and then the buyer can buy insurance. You know, we've all done that. You know, you always paying for that title insurance. You're like, why am I buying this?

We did have that issue, Terry, one time, and it took them about a year to get a warranty title. Yeah. Well, they probably had some other debt. So I'm guessing if they didn't pay their taxes there was probably no issue was kind of wasn't clear.

They had to they had to find all the heirs and they had to to clear the heirs municipal tax deed with quick deed they clear they passed a law a few years back now after 15 years they clear automatically. It used to be forever you had to go after the heirs and try to get signed off to clear the title but in tax quite property. Now if you sit on for 15 years you won't clear title.

Has property gone up Roxan yet? No that's what we're voting on tonight. We just had one. Do we Ruth, do we know what other towns do with this monies? I mean, we can't be the only people that have ever foreclosed on a house before.

Uh, most of them just keep it, but there are instances where towns do choose to give it back to the owner because they feel that um it's not in the town's interest to profit from selling the property. We're not in the real estate business. We're in the business of helping the community. And so we're helping this portion of of our town to get a new start perhaps.

But when that when that title's passed over, is the title passed over? For example, was it quick claim to the town and then quick claim to the new buyer? No. No. We don't have to. We don't claim our it's an automatic foreclosure the day 18 months.

So we technically own the property. Yes. So if anything arised from that sale, who would be liable? What do you mean if anything? Uh the buyer. You didn't just whatever. There's always something. you know, there's leans on it from some other who would who would end up eating that bill if there was something that came from.

We don't have to disclose anything. Okay. All we have to do is do a quick claim deed. It it it has no warranty behind it whatsoever. It's up to them to decide, you know, see a lawyer. 100% risk to them. We have no liability on this.

Okay. So, some contractor could still have a lean on the property. We we do all the the research at the the deeds and we do a pretty good job. Um, and we send notices to everybody that has any [clears throat] kind of interest in the property. So, if there's a a contractor's lean, if there's any kind of lean on there, we have to notify these people that that this property is up for foreclosure and give them the option to pay the taxes.

And is this so this may cost us more than just taxes? Well, included in I I don't think I included it this time. I included it in the last legal fees and minimum minimum bid. I just I don't know. Is this a Is this a town type?

Yeah, we don't have to make decisions tonight. So, yeah. I was just curious if we decide to do it on that cuz they're back to the town. The only decision I'm looking for tonight is is for you guys to decide whether or not I put it out for bid.

Yeah. Okay. Oh, for Oh, for the specific instant. If they want to give the money back, it's their money. We just had that discussion. It's the town's money. It's the town's liability. So, I'll uh I'll accept the motion and put it to the town.

Could you repeat that motion for me, please? That we'll we will um turn this over to the town as is for the town to make a decision. Put it up to put it up to bid. Yeah, we'll put it up to bid. Do I have a second? I'll second that. Move the second. Any more discussion? All those in favor?

Okay. All right. The act on it RFP. Um I was disappointed. Um said [laughter] I uh put it out to bid and I think I may have done something wrong because all the bids that I got back were very high. [laughter] a monthly contract, the lowest monthly contract was $1,287. Um, I would like to go back to each of these individuals who um bid on this and discuss whether or not they would be interested in in more of a

contractor type of what they were bidding on. Okay. So, so what I asked for was I asked for a bid that included them coming in to take a look at what our IT system looks like now because our IT system has not been really examined and thoroughly vetted for a year and a half probably now. Um, and so uh and we have no individuals in town that that is able are able to to do serious IT work. you know, I can connect printers and stuff like that, but but as [clears throat] far as serious IT work, I can't do. And and then on top of that, then to set us on a path whereby we would be able to to um upkeep our IT and

they all bid on this, but when they bid on this and and I may not have been really clear in the in the RFP, they they bid on it as if they were basically taking over the IT services completely for the town. So they would do all of the updates. They would do all of the the um downloads, the anti virus, the

all that other kind of stuff that goes along with the upkeep of an IT system. And my intention was that they would more set out a schedule whereby they would um help us to do it ourselves and then kind of be an emergency backup if you know the system crashed or if I really couldn't figure out how to how to do something like set up a new printer or something like that. Then they would be available at an hourly basis or perhaps a a monthly contract basis. But I was thinking more in the range of $400 a month instead of $1,200 a month.

Yeah. How how did um cuz Josh Libby had and I'm trying to bring him up right now um some estimates done on this type of work. Yes. And and one of the companies that bid was the company that he was talking to. So how does the scope of work in what he had in those bids compared to what you asked them for?

Well, I think in that scope of work, it was more a base number of hours. So, you you paid a certain monthly fee for a certain number of hours per month that you could call on them to do some service. So, but isn't that what you said you wanted?

I I thought so, but [laughter] it sounds it sounds like it sounds like we didn't ask for the right thing. I guess not. We need to look at maybe some of the bids that that Josh did and and make sure that, you know, maybe even contact this guy, you know, Michael Door is a name on this one and

he's he's one of the better. This is this is what we this is the type of thing we were looking for, you know. Um and and he is the low bidder in this. So he was at $1,287 for the monthly contract, which was bring it up. There were a couple of different versions.

I think it probably warrants going back and asking the questions you want to ask. Yeah. I say we Yeah. Just to make sure we Yeah. I I want to go back and I want to talk to each of them and and just and talk about the money issue because it's it's way above what I was

thinking that we would be able to spend. Yeah. While we table that. Yes, sir. Yep. Terry, in our solid waste committee meeting and when we met with the selectman, this issue came up with the uh solid waste when we got the bids. Okay. And we asked the question is why can't we go back on the bids and renegotiate the bid or whatever it is on the price which Ruth is asking for right now. and we were informed at that time we could not. What has changed now

that now you're going to go back into these bids and ask for them to change it? It's possible, Terry, that I can't I I would probably talk to the um probably talk to Janet actually first to make sure I could or not. But we were told that once the bid came in, it was either accept them or reject them all and start over again. That's what we're talking about doing. Exactly. Reject them all.

That's going to be the next motion. Rescope the work and do it again. Cuz it sounds like we may not have got what we really was asking for or maybe we didn't ask the right way. So, they bid on something different than what we thought we was getting. So, yes,

you're right. That's what we're going to do. Reject this. that we're gonna [laughter] you heard me. We're gonna reject it and then move forward with the different request. what we're doing. Yes. You're going to have to rewrite it all.

Michael say about this is what I think you need. Okay. All right. Without making surprised me since he was he actually met with him. Yeah. So, okay. Make a motion on that. I make a motion that we reject the current bids.

I'll second that. Move and seconded that we reject the current bids. Any more discussion? All in favor? Do we need to also make a motion for her to do the process again? Yes. All right. I move that we have Ruth resend out an RFP for IT work for the uh for the town office for the town, not just the town office.

I'll second it. Just move the second that we have Ruth go back out for the new RFP. Any more discussion? Yes, sir. All in favor? Question. Um, so the um expenses involved in advertising this is that coming out of the telecommunication budget?

I think that's where they come out of correct out of out of communications. Yes, it does come out of the telecommunications budget. And then should the should this bid be awarded at some point in the future that money is allocated by the telecommunication committee?

Yes, they have offered. Okay. All right. Uh special town meeting. Yeah, that's um Shannon. So I um I want to include in the special town meeting also the special election for selectman. Sorry I probably should have mentioned that at the beginning. So Shannon has all done that.

This is just for information as we go along. Did you have time to the I looked at the at the uh um the two sections that you did you get anything out of it? Basically, uh, all I saw was it said the selectman may call a special election. Didn't say shall, right?

I don't know if that means that you can just go with four until the next regular election or and then and then the other is just the standard secret ballot like how so if we're going to have a special election, the way I interpret it is we need to do it the way we always do it, you know, in terms of uh secret ballot and like that. I didn't see anything about timing. Um Oh, you didn't for uh

I won't I didn't I didn't read every there were only two little sections that you gave me. So, I didn't read all the other sections that were around it. So, research it. I had a busy day. I would, but we didn't have a heck of a lot of time on this one. [laughter]

Um the section talking about that we can shorten it for um subsection is Yeah. Where's that? Yes, correct. Um um page one. Yeah, right at the top. Shortening first paragraph, second paragraph, you know. Second page. Procedure for shortening.

Kind of all Mark, can you explain to me how this is going to work? You mean for replacing J special town meeting? Why don't we let Shannon tell us that? Cuz I think she's about to tell us how that's going to work. Yeah. Well, for um for a special town meeting or to fill a vacancy, in this case, it's for Jeff, we would have to have the selectman um okay that we do do

that the election and then we just go forth with shortening of it of subsection 2568 that um you have 24 days total to do all this that you normally have 85 days to do. So, you shorten up the nomination papers or when they're available. You have 10 days folks have um town residents have 10 days to come in to take out nomination papers and get at least 25 signatures, no more than 100 come in and file it on um

the 26. 26 is 26. Correct. That's the 10 days. Then there's 14 days of absentee voting, which is normally 45 days. Um, everything's shortened up drastically, but it's to fill a position um on a very important board, and I think we ought to really take advantage of it. And as Ruth and I spoke today, did that answer your question? So, how how many days prior to the

special meeting do the nomination papers have to be submitted? 10 days from now. You're right. And then set a date for the special meeting. Yes. It's going to be on the election. The June 13th election is what we're same on the school side.

So, it would just be we just add a municipal election to the June 13th election day is what we're looking towards doing. First first of all you have to get it announced and then from the from the day of announcement individuals have 10 days in which to come in and and take out nomination papers and then they have until 10 days

prior to the date of the special election to turn those Oh no no they'd have to have them back 10 days to turn them in but it's a very short Usually you get 10 days to get but they pick them up Tomorrow they got 10 days tomorrow.

How can that be? It hasn't even been announced. So now if it's announced Friday, now we're down to eight days. If that was the case, we I've gone through the scenario of the days and counted it over and over again. And the only way we could do it is if we announce the um opening the vacancies and the election today or tomorrow. After that, there's not enough days.

How are you going to get the announcement? I mean, it has to be a public announcement. So public announcement. This is a public announcement every year. This is a public announcement. We put it on the website. I would call um different um contacts of the different newspapers news people and u tomorrow. It can't be in before Friday.

It'll be up on the channel. Well, this this is the public announcement and then we would further get it out there. And Melton, you forget I have a big mouth. What? what's the special town meeting for budget? It's it's the it's the actually it's the it's the the election for the school budget and we're going to put this on for the same time.

Mark, can I can I handle this one? I I think there's some confusion because I I had made the agenda and we had talked about doing a special town meeting, which I will explain, but there's two different things here. There's the the election for the selectman which we're hoping to get by June 13th done. Um and then there's also a special town meeting that we were talking about doing. Um and so these are two different discussions and that was for appropriating money to finish the culverts because we received um both of the grants for the Auburn panel culverts. Um so we we would need to go to town a special town meeting to appropriate the money which we would appropriate out of um capital funds for um public works. We wouldn't raise any money for that. Um and then um so so there's two separate issues that we're addressing here.

But so so in reality the special town meeting has nothing to do with the election. That's right. Right. Yeah. But because we're need to fill a vacancy on the selection meeting or wish to, we're also going to add a vacancy on the budget committee because we're elected position and there's some people show interest in that.

Say we have instead of putting it off to November, why not just involve it in the June? I understand that, but it has nothing to do with Oh, it got right. We got confused between the two and they got wrapped into one. Yes, you're right. on the special town meeting. You're gonna appropriate funds for

for the culverts. They I applied for Can I bring us back to the agenda? And we we have a public comment period and we are wasting a lot of time. We are like way off on a tangent now. I'd like to stay on the agenda for the special election. Um and then and and go according to our agenda so that we're not here all night.

Thank you. Okay. Okay. Well, the special Yes, we can do the special election. Well, and then this the next one after that is the special town meeting. So, it's going to be it's right there. Okay. So, right. So, to avoid confusion, I think it's let's isolate them and deal with one at a time.

So, we're clear on the special election part. I would like to right open it up right now 16 and have the nomination papers available. I have them right with me. Right. So, we can anybody wants to take them out, I've got them.

We make that motion. Right. That's what you're looking for. Yes, please. So, we could make that time official. Can you can you take through the calendar again? So, certainly the petitions would be due when on what date? May 26. That's the 10 days. The filing date is May 26 by

end of close of business 1:30. Correct. That's how we we usually state it. And then they have the 20 well through the 27th to the 9th for absentee voting. 14 days for absentee votings. And I would just add those if people request in with a state ballot as well as the ISU ballot. They could get three ballots potentially if they want them.

Is there a state ballot this June? Yeah. Yes. There's one referendum question and I brought a copy in case you wanted to know what it was about. It's very worded, very lengthy, but it's not. I'm good. [laughter] Kevin, I know you got

right? And then the actual vote at the school like it always is. 8 to 8 13th 8 to 8. That's when we process the absentee ballots. Okay. And all this is posted. I'll be posting it Thursday. I have I have the returns and everything. I will post in three conspicuous p places what I always do here the school and the store. So it's out there if pe people want to know

and and the issue is that if we don't do it now um we would either need to wait until November or we would need to have a a new election and then we would have to pay all the clerks and we would have to Yeah. So better off getting it done so we're back to full strength.

So is there somebody that's going to make a motion for this? I move that we uh proceed with a special election to fill the vacant selectman seat. It's scheduled for uh June 13th. Yes. Does the that does the ordin does this allow for budget committee? Because I don't know if this is your heading. It says for municipal well municipal officers that would cover that.

So and and budget and budget committee. Uh yes for June 13th. Do I hear a second? I'll second. moved and seconded that we uh post this out starting today. Uh papers to due back in on the 26th. They have up to from the 27th to the 9th to do absentee and then the election will be at the school 8 to8 uh the same time you uh vote on the school budget on the 13th of June. Any more discussion?

And the state budget state ballot. Yes. And the state ballot. We're going to be Yes, Mil. I understand what you're doing. Um, I just want to go on record saying that, [clears throat] you know, there's fewer and fewer people who go through the process, uh, whether it's selectment or budget, who take out papers, get get the the 20 the minimum of 25 votes and get the papers back. Right.

Um, for someone who has been doing this for for for 19 years now, I can tell you sometimes getting 25 signatures requires a little bit of time. Um, and so I I personally just don't feel we have really shown courtesy to our to to to the residents of [cough and clears throat] our town and finding uh qualified candidates in in this short of a window. I I I think we're rushing it by time people hear about it. It might not be till the end of the week. It might not be till the first of the week. And to try to get to 25 people, uh, you know, within a within a week's time, I think it's a challenge. And and just personally, I think it's a little unfair.

I understand exactly was saying that's why I said that people showing interest for the budget, inquired about it, and we said, well, it may may not be till November. And they said that's fine. But he stood up a lot at the town meeting and voiced different opinions on things or figures. And if we have somebody that's interested and and knows what they're talking about, um why not offer that at the same time as we're having another billing vacancy. It does show interest. So,

any more discussion? All those in favor? Okay. Excuse me. Um, now we can do the special town meeting for the culit. Correct. Yes, please. Sorry. [laughter] The special town meeting for the culitz. Yes. Should we get that explained?

Yes. Okay. Oh, you want me to explain it? I think Calvin's probably better. Uh, yeah, that's fine. This is This is the one you got the two grants for. So we I applied for two D grants um for smart stream crossing uh culprits on Auburn Pel Road and uh we uh

got the we were awarded we were hoping to know before the town meeting we didn't hear they extended the award process out into later in April before we found out and so I applied for two of I'm thinking I may have a might have a 20% chance of getting one. I didn't ever think we'd get both of them, but so they're going to give us $200,000 $100,000 a piece to put those uh in. It's a non-matching grant. So, um, that

is going to require a special town meeting because we are going to have to come up with probably I don't I'm waiting for the engineering to get done, but I'm I'm hopefully I'll have that number by next week, but we're looking at uh probably $70,000 or so of our own money to put towards it.

So, the total project you're estimating at $270,000. Is that what you're saying? And would that 70 be coming out of the capital? We're not talking about raising another 70,000, are we? No. Our intention was to take it out of the public works capital.

do we have the 70ome,000 in there? Yes. Yes. Calvin, do we have a prelim of scope of work that we've gotten a bid that we're confident on this $270,000? Where are we getting that number from? That's all I want to know. He gave me that number. He said just use that number and he said you can go as high as 100,000 but

I think it's going to come in a little bit less but I don't have the final number right yet but I think that No, I understand you don't have plans. I get it. I'm just $270,000 for a couple culberts. That's big money. Well, this isn't a culbert. It's a actually becomes a bridge. It's concrete wing walls and the bottom.

So, it's a pretty big project. Y they're going to have to they're going to have to dam the stream, pump all the water around, build a temporary stream channel. Jesus [laughter] take that off my background for a while. Thanks a lot.

Um Jeez, I mean that that sounds like a pretty good project, right? Once it goes out to bid, we'll find it. We won't know until it goes up to bid what it actually is going to cost us. I just I don't know how it seems so premature. We have no idea what the dollars we're talking about here. Am I wrong?

Engineer's estimate, he gave me a breakdown, was uh 200,000. So, well, well, you got 200,000. Well, well, it's 200,000 that we would need. So, he he said we would 200,000. 270 is the number he gave me. I could bring that. Sure. I could bring that in.

It all just kind of fell in here in the middle of April. And so, for the last scope, what's the engineering's bill on that? That's a lot of work. And where who's paying that bill? Is that already allocated? Yeah, I gave that to It's part of that. That's part of it.

Okay. That's included in Have we gotten that bill, Ruth? What's on it? Well, there's no bill yet. What we decided to do before Jeff left was take uh the money out of my current professional services fund and then when we get the if it gets funded through town meeting, then we will reimburse it. If not, then we would uh not be able to do any of the

So, could you just refresh me? How much money did you guys allocate that? Uh 25,000, I think. Or did it get knocked down to 20? I know we had It's at least 20. It might be 25. front of me. So, does your 270? So, are we 290? Just Just so I'm clear. Is it

I mean I I don't want I know you it's so hard to do that but is that 20k in that I mean are we going to be going talking 290,000? No no that would be part of it. Okay. The engineering is in that 270 figure and I'm hoping it's going to come in less engineer thinks it might but then again even if even if that's a budget number until it goes out to bid and we actually get our numbers in from contractors.

Yeah. No, I get that. I get that. Hopefully it comes in less. I think when I heard Culver, I'm thinking, hey, I I was thinking you were going to say, you know, a couple $20,000 grants or something. When you said this number, I was they're copper.

I guess so. Yeah. Okay. It's good for the fishery. [laughter] Okay. Anything else on that? I do. You think we should wait until we know more? What are we doing right now? We were talking about the possibility of setting a special town meeting.

I would go ahead and set the meeting, but we we can always uh Do you know when you're getting all that paperwork back? I don't want to set the meeting until we know when we got it, right? I'm hoping they finished last week the um [clears throat] they finished the site work, the engineering out there, the survey work. So,

we should have an answer by next meeting. Maybe we set the date. You have plans by next week. Is there any way we could get some ballpark bids from somebody prior to I I just don't want to go to the town and ask for money and then all of a sudden we get these plans back and it's

we've all seen this show before. The engineer will give us a breakdown of estimated based on other jobs that have been done the go rate for each product. [clears throat] Um so you're comfortable with 270,000. So an extra 70,000

actually setting that number right now. just agreeing on setting the meeting. Is that And then by next meeting by next meeting if you have it then we can we'll set the special town meeting. I'm good with that. I'm good with that.

Yeah. I don't want to set the next meeting. Yes, sir. Yeah. Okay. Any deadlines we got to worry about? It's a special meeting, man. I'm going to make the deadline. [laughter] Okay. It's going to be later in the season before we do it anyway because of fish spawning. You can't really do that kind of work until after July.

Yeah. Let's just do some more due diligence. So, I think we're just a touch premature before we have the time. Okay. Uh, well, we're right there with the road commissioner. We might as well take his report. Go get signatures now.

I'll sign you. It's just Thank you. Thank you. Hey, Mil. I want to talk to you. Gavin, you better be better than right in. No. What? You better be better than right in. Yeah. Oh, yeah. [laughter] We don't need to relive that.

I know who's out running away from me. [laughter] Oh, you sure? Thanks, gentlemen. I appreciate it. Thank you. See you guys. Thanks. Yeah, sure. All right. Did you get one of these? Yes, sir. I think I passed the remainder on you.

Yeah. All right. Oh, thank you. You got one goes all the way around. it. I'll try again. not on your your report, but uh I got a call this afternoon from RSU 10, Dennis Wlette, transportation director, and they've got some

RSU 5. RS 10. That was where I used to [laughter] say RSU 10. Dennis Dennis changed jobs. RSU5 uh from the uh transportation director uh Dennis Ule. He um uh has got top soil from the new track they're putting in and he wants to give some to Durham and Pound.

So it's free. They got a load of there. They said they'll give us give us some but no cost. Just as we got a truck. What's that? We got to truck it. Yeah. So, we'll go pick it up. Where we going? We'll stop by somewhere.

What's the yardage? We're talking on estimate. He said, you know, two or three loads a piece, I guess. So, you're looking at 24 24 to 36 or 36 yards or so? Yeah. And what are we talking? Is it clay? Is it sand? It's top soil. So,

it's top soil. So, it's it's it's the current came off that soccer field. Yeah. So my house we'll take I was going to say [laughter] it'd be good for you know spill a little on my yard at the casino or we could have used it out here and we always need some. So

So I just wanted to point that out that made that offer and it's good and maybe if it's a good buy maybe we could offer to buy some more at a reduced rate. So, um, we've got beavers on Peter Road on the section. Got some calls on them.

We're talking about beavers. Yep. That's the only place I wanted to talk to. They keep blocking the culberts. Uh, Carl went and talked to Carl's licensed trapper and he went to inland fisheries and talked to them about the beavers and they said they'd like to at least wait two more weeks before anything was done. And I said, "Look, let's let's

in Panel, we did a process of putting in a pipe, a siphon." Sure. And so, yeah, so that water can get through and so you don't have to kill the beavers and you can and once they run out of food, they'll move on. So, we're going to try that.

Work with IFW just to Can we get Can we get that done ASAP? And the reason why I asked is the top I I didn't even know, man. I had no idea you guys had beaver issues. Hey, what are we going to do? But anyways, you know, I guess we're sending out basically a fleet of trucks out there in the morning to raise the draw bridge for the B, you know, to get the water down at 6:30, 7:00 and these guys every day they're hearing your trucks and work, you know, four or five days a week and it's been going on since March. We've been dealing with these beavers. So, if we could get that corrugated pipe, which we don't need really permits from anybody, correct?

Well, IW will give us a sketch of how they want it. They'll come out and talk to us. Okay. But if we could just get that so the town's people could uh Yeah. Seems like we could have done that pipe. I don't know what we waited on that pipe. I understand about trapping the beavers and all that stuff, but we could have resolved this by just putting in a pipe and saving a lot of manh hours.

Well, I IFW doesn't want us to do anything for at least two more weeks. They said, wait another couple of weeks and cuz they have their babies. I know they don't want us to do anything in terms of trapping and stuff is the way cuz I kind of made some but I don't know if they have any issue with us because we're not disturbing the beavers if we had some corrugated pipe in there. Is that correct? There's no problems with

I didn't go to the meeting, but my understanding was that they said just leave him alone for a couple more weeks and we'll Yeah, I spoke to Carl, too. I guess he's your expert. Yeah, I I don't want I told him I don't want to kill the beavers. So,

no. What I'm getting at is Carl says we don't kill the We don't have to kill the beavers. We don't have to interrupt their whatever they're doing out there. They're in babies. If we just add, which we could do at any time and we don't need any special permission, corrugated pipes so they can the water can flow through without disturbing the beavers and they can live happily ever after on the Peter bail road and the employees aren't waking up to 6:30 a.m. construction.

And be careful about about uh catering to employees to towns people. I know we're supposed to do that, but be careful about catering to this one cuz next thing you know cost. No, let me let me be clear. I'm not I'm not catering. My concern is the cost that we're sending a truck there twice a day and a loader to lift this thing up since March when all we had to do was probably 2 hours worth of work of corrugated pipe. I'm not catering to anybody. I'm looking after the

I heard you say was the people were worried about hearing it at 6:30 in the morning. Well, it's a little bit I mean two two times a day people going down the road to take care of some beavers. That's all right. I I see what you're going now. I'm just saying

when we Peter Ver road when we could just put in a corrugated pipe and be done with it. That's a little more complicated than that cuz they'll just move back to that pipe. Yeah, I was going to say I've seen a siphon and just you have to build a siphon with pipe.

Can we can we fix it? They're going to send me a plan anyway. Mark, I don't know. I Who am I supposed to acquies to or take? No, I don't. Who am I supposed to accommodate if I don't accommodate the people paying taxes on?

I get that, but I just say we got to be careful about this one cuz next thing you know be next out there with everybody. That's all I'm saying. We just couple months. So, it's not like it's been going on a week. No, I understand.

I just I just didn't want us. Next thing you know, we get 50 calls. Lose any Do we have any erosion caused by this? No. No. But we would. It starts to build up and if we can fix it that way, I'm all for that. Yeah. Yeah. I talked to His name is Mark, correct?

Uh Carl. Carl, excuse me. I talked to Carl and he's a couple hours worth of work that can have this resolved. Right now, we're spending four days a week time in the morning, a couple guys going down there with a loader and a dump truck, and then we're going back in the afternoon. The only time we're not going down there is on the weekends and maybe Friday or something. We let the water get up.

Yeah. I don't I don't think it'll be a couple hours, but we'll because it takes all day, but the manh hours that's being produced over the course of a couple months bringing three guys down to a job to let out the beavers.

I'll be surprised if they don't redo it, but we'll try it. We'll we'll get [clears throat] something in there and get it. Give it a try. I' I've seen seen that happen. Next thing you know, they beef is a pretty tricky people.

We got one in which they are they [laughter] are you talking about employees? No, I'm talking about the flat tail people. I didn't know beavers could throw rocks. They take rocks that big with their tails and they put them in the covers and I'm like beaver moved that

Yeah, I they pick them up with their tails and plug the like wow. I've seen they never believed it. But yes, uh so uh crews continued working on cleanup, patching shoulder, working on gravel roads. um did send the grater out to do um snow road and uh new glouester road and u before he had to go back to powell. I've got a lot of compliments on roads are nice people calling giving us thanks and so [sighs] I've been uh this is my fourth day today in leadership public works leadership talking you know personnel public uh issues and so

tomorrow is the last full day and so tomorrow we're going to be working on back to doing the stuff that uh uh doing more road building and stuff for the last day. And so I'm I'm just falling way behind with my schedule here and trying to keep up with I worked Saturday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday trying to keep trying to get work done so I could go to this class and then I'm getting out of there and going right to it. So unfortunately I'm a little bit behind, but uh last week I had to get PL's uh projects going with all the u had to reconcile the bonds and know exactly what we got left to do, coordinate the schedule for the upcoming paving and all that stuff. So hopefully now after tomorrow it'll be back to more of a normal

get the head gear off the trucks. Yep. Do you uh do you schedule cleaning up and painting those during the summer? We've done a couple already and they'll just they'll keep they'll keep doing them as u as we get time. Rainy days, whatever they Yeah.

So keeping them up. Yep. Are you moving some trees on the stock pole road? We're going to meet with Barry Baldwin Monday morning to go over some trees on the Stackpole Road. Uh there's some great big We're going to be paving that road. So, there's some trees in the ditch line that got to come out and there's some massive big dead Anybody seen those big dead cars?

That stuff's going to start hitting cars there, but around there. My wife asks every time they go by a lot of that town. We got to Yeah. So, looking at getting those out of there before we get in there and ditch so they're not in our way. Um,

pretty much getting all set for the public. Yeah, working snow. Been working on getting set up for a bulky way Dave, getting the facility all set up and um looking for uh some workers if anybody's interested. [laughter] That's negotiable. You get first take through the pile.

Well, enough. [laughter] We see the We see the rabbit roads being paved. That's good. Yeah. So rabbit roads being paved. Uh so can we go back to this um uh bulky waste day? Yep. Do we I noticed last year that see at times there was um you know traffic and vehicles kind of blocking the road became an issue. Have we alerted like sheriff or state police or anybody to maybe be on hand for a little or we do we have a plan for a little better traffic control this year?

Last year we were blocking the driveways was the issue. So, um, was going to have Ron make up some signs, but Ruth beat me to it. But, uh, uh, make up some signs to put in front of those driveways and say don't, cuz I did have a couple of people that live there come down and ask us to.

So, we've got the signs made. We're going to put those up. And I thought about maybe posting someone down there, but we didn't have the extra manpower to, you know, keep those driveways open. And I don't know, the other concern was about them trying to fit between the cars and then be able to see to pull out. And I think if you really don't

wider than the driveway, right? If we keep them back 25 ft or so from the driveway and not let them pull right out. So they can actually get a Who's on who's on duty this month? Sheriff's or or state police? State police.

Yeah, I believe state. We should I think last year we before we called. Yeah, we should make sure we do that too again. Yeah. Just let them know that it's happening. So Um, cedar pond stack pole. Yeah, that's Yeah, that's for the all state.

So, we're going to have to we're going to have to go to uh Cedapond and Stack Pole until June 26. We're going to be busy right until because I have to I have a deadline. and I've got a meet to I mean if we got to push it off a week or so we'll be all right but we got to get this cold mix down in July because that has to sit for 30 days before the chip seal can go down and the chip seal can't go down after September 1st so it's it's all so

are we ditching the entirety of Stack Ball and the entirety of Cedar Pond just just the area that needed it just the area okay so uh I think there's a uh on Cedar Pond I think there's a cross pipe that we're going to eliminate and [clears throat] that's not needed I have no idea why it's there. But uh

which one is we talking down by the river or are we talking right before you right on the curve where there used to be a house up into the right [clears throat] one that heaves up every every year and we got rocks on top of it to hold it down.

No, that's we got to fix that. Yeah, we we had a steel plate. But no, there's a pipe that crosses the road right there. I have no idea why it's there. And one is too high and it heat one Well, there's one that's just it's got [cough and clears throat] that much cover over. So that's got to be dropped. Gotcha.

So, we'll be resetting that one or if we can do it without damaging it. So, we'll try. So, that's going to take us up until June 26 getting that done. So, then we'll go back to um then we'll go back to Runaround Pond, get back to ditching that that we can pave right up until, you know, Thanksgiving. So,

and what about um ditching on Quaker Mean House Road? Yep. Is that ever? Yep. We'll go back to get that. There's there's only a few spots here that really need need to be done. So, we'll go back and get that. Uh so, we'll be back to run around Pond Road for about 3 weeks or so and then we'll go right back to we'll go back up to uh Quaker meeting house road.

Okay. The engineer the engineer one you've kind of already touched on with the uh he's finished. Uh so, you we've dealt with that one. Yeah. The sign company did get back to me on the sign. Welcome to Durham. Yeah. Oh, that's

Oh, that's the other one. Looks like that one except it's right. All right. I had the and uh we got someone already started on the gazebo. I see. And little field started the gazebo and I went down looked at at the the sistering of the boards coming out from higher than that to be, but there's not much we can do. We're going to have a foot of material,

right? I didn't want to get down to 6 in. So, yeah, once we get it painted, you won't see I think the original splices were fairly close to the bottom if I remember right. So, we had to take care of all the rotten plus have another foot to cleat onto.

Yeah. So, you're going to be So, once we get them painted white and everything, you'll be they'll look good before. Yeah, that should be done next week hopefully. So, it'll should be done this week actually. He said he'd be there. So, he's trying to get it done for us for the Memorial Day. So, I don't see any reason why that won't be done.

There's going to be a couple loads of brick over there by the looks anyway. So, those probably will still be there. I was surprised to see those in the middle of the road when they dropped them off. Yeah, I know. I thought they went to the neighbor.

I didn't [laughter] I don't know. I don't know. They I just saw them in the middle of the road. We had to go down and put barricades in front of them. So, is there anything for codes? [clears throat] No. How many How many open house lots do we have going on right now in terms of new construction?

Four or five for new construction. One on 45. You got one on chickity. Max is five. You mean going on currently? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'd say that's probably I'd say there's one, two, might be might be six. I don't know. There's one up by me.

I don't know if they wait till they sell it or what. There's one on Peter Ver road. I know that. I was over there today. Beavers. [laughter] Yeah, that was a waterfront propert. Yeah. All right. Anything else at this point?

All right. Town administrator. Um, I guess before I forget, I wanted to let the new members of the board know that the town always has a float in the Memorial Day parade and we always invite any of the select board members who care to ride on the float with us um to ride on the float with us. So, there we go. [laughter]

I would, but um because my kid is in fifth grade and this is the year that they run the fair over there, I'll be prepping the grill and flipping burgers. That sounds exciting. Somebody has to do it. Yeah. Right. So, it'll

know if I'm uh I could probably do it. I don't um We can see you know who's who's driving. What do we What do we get? driving. [laughter] Are you worried about who's driving? You'll have to drive the Are you driving, Kevin? Or

All right, we'll get the Uncle Sam costume out or something. Yeah, I know you're pulling the [laughter] but somebody's going to be driving the truck that's pulling the float. Driving. What do we got for a float? You got some beavers on that float. [laughter]

You got You give me some stuffed beavers. I'll rise the float. Do you want to make a motion for the I'll make official town animal players bever. [laughter] I've seen them chew down two trees on 136 up. They don't mess around. I agree. They're nasty little animals. I'm not messing with people.

Anything else? Uh, so I last time we came here, um, I gave everybody a handout from GP COG where they're having some kind of a training on the 31st and they were looking for people who wanted to go and be voting members of GPCOG and nobody seems to want to go. So, I guess I'll go. Um, they [laughter] they were looking for two people though. So, if anybody

I think I responded that that you couldn't go that day. What day was that again? It's the 31st. Uh, which is a Wednesday, which is usually I don't even work. What time is it at? Uh, it's in the evening is the voting part, but the training is from like 1:00 on and then the the the voting part is I think somewhere about 6 or 6.

Yeah, I have a work thing. I can't reschedule that day. Yeah, you told me that. Okay. Nobody, you know, everybody's jumping for Okay. Well, I'll send out the email again in case anybody decides. You don't have to respond cuz

I know that you don't want to, but I don't think I can hang it. I'll Okay. So, yeah, I think that's that's about everything that I I had. Oh, I did include in your um packet the runaround pond sign. Um so Allan's taking care of that. Um and he is also going to send out invitations to the event to you guys.

Yeah. So, So um I have I actually have a a request for our account administrator and when we have a document like this like the survey of employee health coverages and there have been a couple other documents like you know you did ran some numbers on various things. Um I would appreciate it if we could get in the habit of having a footer here and like prepared by and the date.

Okay. Um, so that we kind of know because then you get two or three of these. Well, which one is the new one and which one is, you know, and and if there's a question, well, who who ran these numbers? Okay. Well, Ruth did this one or Shannon did this one or Jill did this one. Just it's just a good best practice for business. Oh, yeah. At least the date.

Yeah. Yeah. So, usually I run them all. Yeah, I figured. But anything else? Yeah. Roof. All right, up andcoming meetings and town news. Regular section meetings will be held Tuesday, May 30th at 6:30 and Tuesday, June 13th at 6:30. Everybody remember bulky waste day is the 20th this coming Saturday from 9 to 3 at 1099 Rosebell Road, the public works garage, and the RSU 5 annual budget meeting where you get the opportunity to set the budget, not just vote on the final budget. That'll be on June 13th. Uh will be held at Freeport High School on Wednesday, May 24th at 6:30. And the RSU

budget referendum, as I stated, is June 13th at the Durham Community School from 8 to 8 along with our special election on the same day. Yes. Along with our special election on the same day, which will be for uh budget committee and selectman. Um papers are available now. Come and get them. Shannon will get them to you. and we'll uh see if we can't fill them spots.

And the Eureka is having a plant sale. Yes, I saw that. Yeah, the RA is having a plant sale and the 21st as well. They will be open. Yeah. Oh, really? Oh, cool. You got the flip. Uh [clears throat] anything else with that? Uh we're going into executive session at uh 8:22. Uh pursuant to 1 MRSA 40568 personnel personnel matters.

Second that one. I'll second it. All in favor. All right. Alden, you can turn us off. I have a lot of excuses. [laughter] Thanks. Thank you. Uh June. I have so many dates. Like a restaurant. [laughter] Because June 5th and and no meeting in July.

None in July. Skip in July. Mr. Vice. Yes. Um when you come out, just leave me a scratch of paper. Yeah. Out one and two. Yeah. Action. Whatever it was. And then I will have you sign it next time. Okay. And if you stick it in my box,

we'll do. That's the way Jeff used to do it. All right. I can do it the same way. And it doesn't have to be wordy or pretty. Oh, it won't be pretty. It probably won't be wordy. It'll be short and sweet. Love it. [laughter]

And Todd knows from short and sweet. went by Jeff this afternoon about quarter or six and he was out mowing the lawn. I wanted to roll my window down and tell him better get his [laughter] get his butt into the car and keep going. And I didn't realize

Yeah. I hadn't checked my email today. Or was it yesterday? It was yesterday. Yeah. And not I didn't I called me and we chatted for a while. I've had a suspicion he was coming, but Well, I heard heard you say something about it. kind of held him at bay for a little while, but I get that. You know,

is what it is. He's doing a lot of traveling. So, yeah. Sounded [clears throat] like he gotten another bug. Probably from somebody else's bugs from some place. He's No, thanks. I got one. You got one? Bugs from another country that we're not used to

cuz he was in Australia, I believe. That's where he came back from. So, he's got a some kind of an Australian bug. So, he sound like he had a cold. He did. He did. Do you you own the subway in Thompson? No. No. Two in Brunswick, then up to Bath, up to Wisconsin, then up to Booth Bay,

then over to Manchester or excuse me, over to Richmond, then up to Manchester. There's a subway Richmond. Yeah. Right off Right off the exit. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Right off the beside the highway. Oh, yeah. And then that was the old base subway.

Yeah. Yeah. Took it off the base and moved it up there. Oh, I don't know. Seven, eight years ago. Yeah. Yeah, you used to race go-karts. Yeah, I used to race go-karts up there and Richmond across That's where I grew up. In Richmond? Yeah. Went to school there. Grew up there.

I did one subdivision up there on Lincoln Street. I know. Yep. Right by the uh towards the dump road. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We had an eight going to remember being a kid in school. One of our assignments was to had to go town meeting in door. I back then that was not what I wanted to do. But I went and [laughter] I'll tell you the people spent more time about who was going to shoot the rats downtown cuz all the kids we all did

and all of a sudden it was going to become somebody's Yeah, I know. I've got I got I was I just meant to ask a general question. So you answered I was nailing wondering if they going to like my report with with the screen room.

I think the snow was anything to do. a specific idea, but jeez. I'll let you uh asked for it. You talking to me? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no. I didn't ask for it. You didn't ask for this? [laughter] I didn't ask for this. Oh, you didn't? No, I didn't. Well, if nobody did, let's go.

Yeah, because my question was uh just uh and I asked Jeff last week at the last meeting and I had hoped to have uh so while we're here discussing the David's review if he wanted me to keep that in the file and do with his 6 months or did he want me to and he said just bring it in. So I didn't get time to do it today and last uh meeting I was things kind of get out of I was confused. I was kind of blindsided. I didn't know what was going on. So

So you you're asking what do you want to do with his review? Well, you've already seen it, I assume. So [clears throat] uh Well, you should have a copy of it here at the town office. Yeah. And that's so that's where it should be if that's what you're asking.

Got it. Yeah. So Well, I I I just to re refresh that. I think we had this meeting tonight so we could determine what's going on with this gentleman's review if I was that's kind of what I because Jeff wanted to not put it in this file if my memory serves me right.

Right. Uh well the path that he wrote up I guess. Well that's that's the review. Yeah. Yeah. His response to I don't think there's any question that the review goes in I think it was his response to it that the question was about. Yeah. And I haven't I haven't seen a response, so I don't know.

Okay. And And he doesn't want you to see the response. So, and that his concern was if it went into his public file that would, you know, cuz he's No, I mean, I even I even brought this up at uh last month when I was in the public works uh training, leadership training. I brought this up to the guy who's an expert in this and I said, "Here's a scenario." I said, "Should I just say, you know, with all that was going on, we're in the middle of violence now." I mean, and he even admitted there were times you don't deal with things. I mean, he said, "We had a case just like you. We had two employees that just couldn't wouldn't even look at each other."

He said, "But we knew we had a deadline." He said, "We knew damn well we couldn't deal with it now, but as soon as that contract was fulfilled, we dealt with it. But there are times when it's just not practical. I mean, you

No, I think I think we get that, Kelvin. I don't I don't think anybody would disagree with that. I think that's that's that's sensible. I mean the question that we had well I don't want to say we for the mostly I had is um who

this gentleman's direct it sounds like he's specifically majority of his time let's say 85 plus percent of his time is spent with Ron who's technically his direct supervisor but we he doesn't have anything in his file from Ron saying that he's doing anything of any sorts that's contrary to um

well Ron just comes to me and tells me I And he came in and told me one day he said, "You know, but you know, Dave just just told him I'm not going to be here." And Ron says, "Well, let me check the weather. I'll see the weather." He goes, "No, you don't understand." He said, "I'm not asking. I'm telling you I'm not going to be here." And

yeah, that's not the right. We all agree with that. We agree with that. But we we kind of think, and I've thought this, I think you and I have talked about this way in the past that uh for me, the way I think it should work is they report to Ron, and Ron reports to you. You guys decide like like he said, what what you going to do for the day, and that's how that works. So, I'm kind of thinking I think we all kind of had a little bit of the same sentiment that probably Ron either if he doesn't write it, he he should be having a big input and and if he he should have a huge input on it where he's uh dealing with him probably 75% of the day so to speak or each day is going to be different obviously, but when he that input he should actually be able to sign off saying that he he does.

That's a good idea. I can add that. And after having that discussion with you, uh, I had Ron come in and I had Ron come in the office and I had him read it first. I said, "You is this you okay with this? Is this look good to you?" And he said, "Yes, that's dead on."

And and it might be that he should actually write it and then you look over. I know I know where I am. That's how kind of works. My immediate does it. I'm quite sure he passes it on to the next one up and then it gets passed back and I get to see. You can you can you know I I don't I got the sense that you know Ron wouldn't necessarily be comfortable like writing the entire or or even a large portion of the

right so I think I think somehow you need that feedback mechanism from him say okay Ron I need to hear from you for each guy you know how's their work how's their work habits how's their attitude how's their whatever questions you want to ask and incorporate that into the review Because what we wouldn't and I agree with you that they should the direct supervisor uh probably should be wrong but we you want to be careful how we structure that cuz we don't want them to think that well that means I don't answer to Calvin wrong you know ultimately the boss I'd be I'd be content if just both sign it

that would be I could add a long Ron Caesar and agrees to it I'm good with that I just don't want it hey my reviews done by this gentleman this is kind of how it was portrayed without getting into the details my reviews done by a gentleman that I spend 5 minutes a month with essentially. You know what I mean?

The the other thing I would strongly encourage is um and I'm sure you've heard this in some of your classes is to is document even conversations and and but even before you document the conversation, you got to have the conversation. So, uh if an employee is behaving a certain way or doing or not doing something, you know, then we got to take the time to sit, hey, you know, I get where you're coming from. you might be frustrated, but you know that's just not appropriate behavior and we can't have that or whatever it is, not in the heat of the moment, you know, and so that they understand or at least have g been given the opportunity to understand that what they're doing is not is not right. So that when if it escalates and the time comes for something more significant, you're protected because it's documented and the town's protected and there's no surprises. kind of a cardinal rule of thumb is that there should never be a

surprise in a performance review unless they're getting a bigger raise than they thought they were going to get. you know, I mean, they should, especially if it's a discipline type thing, if it's in a performance appraisal, then there should have been some conversations about it beforehand, or else something, you know what I'm getting at and there were and so I I should have, you know, written them up for those things, but I didn't because I just with all that was going on with the timing and on the deadlines and it never stopped snowing and it was like, okay. Yeah. So, but I never talked to him alone. I had him come in with Roman because uh I mean, I shouldn't say never. Uh, yeah. Yeah. No, I had her in there because I

I think that's a very good thing. You both should be in there when you do it. No one behind. I don't like oneonone because then it's he said. So, I have I have Ron right there. And I I've always told my I've told my managers too that if you have an issue with me, make sure you bring it up when you have it. Because if you talked to me about it 6 months ago,

it ain't going to be a good conversation. It's just not going to work. Don't correct your dog 10 minutes after he happened and I [laughter] did it. Let's talk about right now cuz down the road we're not going to have that conversation no matter how much you want it.

I just say Oh, great. Yeah, a couple of them I wasn't real sure about know whether that was separate or was it on this property? I'd have to look at it and refresh my memory. New Brook, and 18. I wrote on the back of the photos. Those two are for the same property. I didn't know which one.

This is This is the one with the men's side roof, right? This is This is Okay. Which one is which? this one on the road. So, this one's got to be 18 and this one's got to be 22. Okay. I can vote on on the back or it might just be the number of your

Oh, yeah. That's just the number of the This is 18 Gold. Yes. It might be. It might actually be 20 Swamp Road. But we No, it's 19 is 19 is what I had. 19 and 20 got switched back and forth or something. So, it's okay. Oh, okay.

That's the one you need. But it might actually be 20. This is just an application from the office, not on a Thank you. that book where we look up the lot number and the tax map? You're going to find you don't need it from something I'm going to give you tonight.

Oh, good. Yeah. Okay. You're done with that. my own and then I can I'll have them all ready watch the numbers earlier you Okay, let's get this That one. Oh my goodness. Now read what it says under it. Oh my goodness. I got a feeling that's a photoshopped picture.

Oh, I would I would imagine. But I think it's just so cute. David, it's a a little girl touching a rhino. It's What does it say? Can you Here, I'll get it. Math is the first number. Yeah. And lot is the second. That's my understanding.

That's my understanding, too. Wait, look, [laughter] that's got to be a photoshopped picture, but I'm assuming I saw that. This is show you. [laughter] What is getting the lot number and just off this [laughter] our own?

Yeah. No, I just Okay. and it has the map and lot number. Comes Lucille. Yeah. Hi, Michelle. I'll tell you what it's all about. Let me a few minutes. [laughter] Okay. Okay. remember. When When is she moving up for good? Uh we go down to pick her up tomorrow.

Oh, wow. That's going to be a long day. Oh, I would imagine. Yeah, it'll be good to have it back. Now, are they do they have stuff? They have a mover they need to No, but you know, they've got a they've been just renting a place that has

basic furnishings for it and uh firm. So, Oh, okay. house? No, I don't know. I know there's think there's still a lot of work to do on the right of way on the old road down to the old ferry. Oh, landing. And uh that's kind of behind your house that

you know where Scrier's house is the Yeah. There's a little dirt road beside it or the remains of a road that takes you right up over a hill and down the other side and brings you right to the ferry old fairy landing to go over to

Lisbon. Okay. So that's where they're going to be in their their place in there. Uh yeah. So they'll be just on Yeah. sort of Yeah. right next up. Glad to have her close by. Hello. See, I remembered. Hey, okay. The the disc is in there. And then this came up.

Am I late? No, you're right on time. Okay. I just was worried for a second here. Comes a little waiting for Mary and Paul. Uhoh. What do we got here? No, we don't. the Thanksgiving fun we don't have on here. Another year.

We're doing something new. I don't know. We'll have to move. All of a sudden, my went off. Told me I was late. What are you doing? You're not going to start building over there sometime soon? No, my business now. still working on [laughter]

I was down in the basement doing a project and all of a sudden my phone went off and I said, "Oh revised property lines and building making sure everything's okay for uh the right away." plans got very far. Not sure what he did.

He'll be coming up from the cape. Oh, no. This isn't this is her fault. Good. How are you? Nice to see you. It was a very sweet card you guys all sent to me. That was really wonderful. I appreciated it very much. All right. Where is this one?

This is kind of what's in the I took these pictures, but I remember I remember that one. Linda's. Okay. and um Donna's. Those are the ones that cop her and Mary and Mary did the churches. That's pretty simple. But so we're starting with Lou. Is that what we'll start with?

Well, either way anyway, but we're waiting for Mary and Anita. All right. I'm going to run and say hi to the girls. We'll wait a few more minutes. Good. How are you? Good. No, she didn't. I offered. She said no. She thought Lorna was going to be cooking sausage or something, so she stayed home and checked it off. [laughter]

No, I like a good faithful dog. Your dog was cooking sausage, huh? [laughter] I almost got the ponytail. Yeah, good. Thanks, Spencer. Lucil 70 old girl right there. Yeah, Candy, I did the paperwork on these churches. Okay. I wondered about that.

me. Not much. Hey Lou, after you get back from your wherever you next week, can we get together and main state taxes? I haven't been out yet. How many years can I do? I didn't get my license. You can go back a couple of years.

So heavy high for a while. It's been too much rain. My glasses. I mean, you could do some pond. Well, yeah, it's simple to do. You go to mainst.org. All you do is put in uh four of those things by u uh um I just go by my the by the thing I got from social security as far as my adjusted gross income. It's it's what I made,

right? But um yes um social security is counting but disability does not count. So your income will be zero. You get a whole bunch of but your rent if your partner hasn't claimed it all. So Lori came you can claim it. And

I can claim it all because it actually comes out of my check the day of So it's 900 bucks. Hi. That's right. You put that in and that's all you have to put in. Okay. Oh, nice. So just go to maine.gov and Yeah. And then you know where it lets you file taxes.

your computer. Um, the program I use is now closed down. Yeah. Because it's it [laughter] only goes to a certain point then it shuts down for the season. Well, maybe maybe um Mary and Anita might want to sit next to each other that she's come.

Yeah, but you're a lefty, right? Is that going to be bothering I I Anita went out with me. I don't She go out with you, too? Yeah, she goes out with me. She goes out with [laughter] anybody. They never let me go out with anybody. The only thing I said [laughter]

wants to go with me. should have seen the rest of it. Do you mind a pencil? Where is that? It's on the snow road. First house on the left. That's the best part of it. horse shed was better than the house. Are we recording tonight?

What house is that? Snow. The first house on your left. I'm sure. Oh, yeah. some crib, right? [laughter] We play. Can I borrow you all your stuff? I didn't bring this. [laughter] I'll just go get something. Just a little cheat sheet for me to look at what I'm supposed to get in.

Are we passing this around or what? I don't know what that was. What is it? Durham comprehensive plan committee contact list, I guess. Huh? Am I Is this Is this a packet we're each getting or something? This is sitting here.

No. Maybe left over from the last meeting. No. Oh, it's a comprehensive plan. Never mind. Oh. Main Historic Preservation Commission. This whole packet here. I don't know. There wasn't anything on the tables before. Is this yours?

I didn't do any of this. I didn't have it. All right. Yeah. Well, look. Well, look at what I don't think I Maybe it's mine. I don't think [laughter] so. I'm pretty sure it's not. I'll take it. I got no idea. Looks interesting.

Okay. All right. So, we're going to start with Louis. But yeah, let me just say one thing. I want to tell you what you guys what you guys have in front of you. the the um list. Paula and I met with the tax lady and she made us a new list from the oldest to to the newest kind of thing. Um but with locations. So it has the people's name, the location, and the map and lot number. Okay. And there are a few discrepancies between this and the the other other lists and I'll work on on that. But that that's what you've got. What you also have because the commission decided um

to do the 1900 houses. Your each one that you have has a few marked in the 1900 group for you guys to do. Okay. Okay. That's what you've got in front of you. And you also should have um packet that had uh you know pictures that you took on the second your second round. I saw that and the the you know forms you needed them. So, that's what we're going to get started doing tonight to look at those pictures.